Tractor construction



Dec. 7, 1937. E Q SARFF 2,101,631

TRACTOR CON STRUCT ION Filed Feb. 6, 1957 INVENTOR EVERT O. SARFF 19; 7-BY wm AT ORNEY Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENI" OFFICE f iTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION Evert O. Sarff, Roseburg, Oreg. Applicationrebruarys, 1937, serial No. 124,441

a claims. (ci. wia-417') Myliinvention relates to tractor constructionVwherein parts of discarded automotive vehicles are employed in saidconstruction, and especially relates to the utilization of thediiferential mechanisms of such abandoned or worn out vehicles.

The object of my invention is to provide a tracto-r constructionemploying discarded differential mechanisms of power driven vehicles inorder to provide for low speed operation, elimi nate costs for castingsand to reclaim and use otherwise discarded and useless material.

The object of my invention is to employ differential gears, reclaimedfrom discarded power vehicles in the construction of tractors in orderto increase the tractive power of such tractors.

An object of the invention is to utilize other parts of power vehiclesin tractory construction, Y

as for instance, the frame, engine, steering gear, etc.

These and additional objects will appear upon reading'the descriptionfollowing, aided by the accompanying drawing, wherein: Y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tractor.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the tractor with parts removedand in section.

Figure 3 is a .horizontal sectional view of a reconstructed rear axleand differential housing which shows changes made in the differentialmechanism in order to adapt it to tractor construction. Y

Figure 4 is a partially sectional view illustrating the connectionbetween the main drive and axle differential.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a small two- Wheel garden tractoremploying the teachingof this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I indicates in its entirety a fourwheel tractor constructed according to this invention. The tractorconsists of the power driven vehicle frame 2 which has been shortenedsomewhat and retains its original forward wheels. The motor 3 of thisvehicle is secured tothe frame 2 by `means of elevating brackets 4'. Themotor is provided with a conventional transmission encased in the casingor housing 5 which is provided with a gear shift lever 6, clutch releaselever 'I, and a drive shaft 8. 1

ShaftV B'is connected to a reconstructed or reclaimed differentialmechanism mounted in housing 9. This housing is a conventional houslinghaving the axle .housings I and I0 cut off close thereto. Mounted withinhousing 9 is the gear I2, sideV gears I3 and I4,driving respectivelyaxle shafts I and I6,Vand spider gears II meshing with gears I5 and I6.Shaft I5 is shortened so that it is concealed within the abbreviatedportion of the shaft housing `II) and is further concealed by theaddition of the cover 2l. The shaft I6 projects from shaft housing IIIand to this is mounted the driving gear I8. In order to provide forpositive drive between shaft 8 and shaft I6, the spider gears I7 arewelded to the side gears where they mesh. In order to permit mounting ofhousingY 9 to differential housing of tractor I, housing III is providedWith a suitable flange for that purpose. Housing I is supplied with asuitable cover or cap ZI.

Housing I9 houses a differential mechanism similar to that justdescribed with the exceptions that its spider pinions are not welded tothe side gears, and the axle shafts and housings are not shortened. Tothe outer ends of the axle. shafts are mounted ground wheels 22 forpropelling the vehicle. The housing I9 is turned on the axle shaft axisso that the shaft I 6 and pinion I8 enter from above instead of from thefront as is the usual practice. likewise the housing 9 is turned so thatthe axis of the axle shafts I5 and I6 are vertical.

In view of the fact that ring gear I2 has a larger diameter andcircumference than driving pinion 8 it necessarily follows that thespeed of shafts I5 and I6 will be less than the speed of shaft B. Thisresults in'lncreased power at a loss of speed and allows a lower'poweredhigh speed automobile engine to be adapted for tractor driving. Thusthis permits the alteration of an old automobile into a small tractor.VThe utilization of suchreclaimed differential transmission systemsprovides an inexpensive way for providing reduction gears not only fortractors as Vaforesaid butfor other power purposes, and in thisconnection it may be pointed out that such gear systems may be employedfor the reverse of that set forth herein. Thus by driving shaft I6 andtaking off power from ring gear I2, a speed increasing mechanism isprovided.

Figure 5 shows the adaptation of the idea to a small two wheeled orchardtractor 23. In this Vcase the tractor is provided with a small motor 24which is connected by two of the gear mechanisms herein described, andindicated by housings 9, to the differential mechanism in theYdifferential housing 25. This is a conventional differential mechanismdriving axle shafts which in turn drive ground wheels 26.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In tractor construction embodying the use of frame, power unit,differential mechanism and ground wheels of old automobiles, a reductiongear system in the transmission line thereof, comprising a differentialmechanism having a ring gear driven by the power unit, side gearsdriving axle shafts, and spider gears meshing with and Welded to theside gears.

2. A reduction gear for tractors formed of automobiles, comprising adifferential mechanism including axle shafts, shaft housing,diiferential housing, a ring gear driven by the tractor motive power,side gears and spider pinions meshing with the side gears, the axlesand` axle housing being shortened, one of the axle' shafts being adriving shaft and provided with a pinion meshing with the ring gear ofthe tractorA differential mechanism, the spider pinions of the rstdifferential being Welded to the side gears to provide a positive driveof the axle shafts by the ring gear, and means on the axle housing whichhouses the driving axle shaft for mounting the differential housing tothe differential housing of the tractor.

3. A reduction gear formed of a differential mechanism comprising adifferential housing having shortened axle shaft housings, a driven ringgear, side gears driven thereby, spider pinions meshing With and weldedto the side gears, axle shafts driven by the side gears, one of saidshafts being concealed Within its axle shaft housing and the other beinga driving shaft and projecting beyond the end of its housing, mountingmeans disposed at the end of its housing, mounting means disposed at theend of the housing which houses the driving axle shaft, and a capcovering the end of the other axle shaft housing.

EVERT O. SARFF.

